By Steve Sherack
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The GII Pat Day Mile S. appeared to be loaded with early speed on paper, but it was 13-1 longshot Macho Music (Maclean's Music) who proved fastest of all.
Exiting an 11 1/4-length, front-running romp in the state-bred restricted Sophomore S. going seven furlongs at Tampa Bay Downs Mar. 30, Macho Music was ridden aggressively by Hall of Fame rider Javier Castellano and cleared the field of nine leaving the chute over the sloppy going. He took ownership of the Pat Day Mile from there and sped along through fractions of :22.43 and :44.93.
The Bob Baffert-trained duo of favored Madaket Road (Quality Road) and second-choice Gaming (Game Winner) were all in while chasing in second and third as they turned for home. Macho Music kept on motoring down the stretch and scored by 3 1/4 lengths.
Madaket Road, turning back following a fourth-place finish in the GI Curlin Florida Derby, proved a neck better than his stablemate and completed the exacta.
“He's a very fast horse and he's very competitive,” Castellano said. “His last race down at Tampa when he stretched out in distance gave me a lot of confidence that he'd be able to handle the step up in class today.”
After saddling his first career graded winner, trainer Rohan Crichton added, “I think the track helped him and he is really a quick horse. He's quick and he's able to stretch his speed, which we were a little worried about. In his last race at Tampa, he really relaxed and kicked, which is what gave us the confidence. And he's been getting better, a lot more relaxed. He wouldn't saddle as good as he did today. He's been really improving mentally. Javier did a fantastic job. First of all, he got him to rate nicely and then finished up really well. The next race might be the (GI) Woody Stephens (at Saratoga on Belmont Stakes Day). That's what we're thinking about.”
Macho Music's recent form also included a fourth-place finish in the Mucho Macho Man S. at Gulfstream Jan. 4 and a runner-up finish in the Swale S. Feb. 1.
Pedigree Notes:
Macho Music, a $50,000 KEESEP yearling turned $60,000 OBSMAR breezer (:10 2/5), becomes the ninth graded stakes winner for Maclean's Music.
The stakes-winning Tapit mare Southern Girl, a half-sister to GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Mucho Macho Man (Macho Uno), is also responsible for the 2-year-old filly Tremont Tammy (Maclean's Music) ($180,000 KEESEP yearling purchase by John Ballantyne/NBS Stable), a yearling colt by Epicenter and a Girvin colt of this year. Southern Girl brought $820,000 from Macho Music's breeder Bridlewood Farm at the 2016 FTKNOV sale.
Tapit is now responsible for 65 graded winners as a broodmare sire.
Macho Music puts on a show in the G2 Pat Day Mile presented by SAP!
Javier Castellano was aboard the Rohan Crichton trainee. pic.twitter.com/LmbIw9Ppg1
— Churchill Downs (@ChurchillDowns) May 3, 2025
Saturday, Churchill Downs
PAT DAY MILE S. PRESENTED BY SAP-GII, $539,500, Churchill Downs, 5-3, 3yo, 1m, 1:35.65, sy.
1–MACHO MUSIC, 118, c, 3, by Maclean's Music
1st Dam: Southern Girl (SW, $120,905), by Tapit
2nd Dam: Ponche de Leona, by Ponche
3rd Dam: Perfect and Proud, by Nonparrell
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($50,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $60,000 2yo '24 OBSMAR). O-Mark Fletcher Taylor, Rohan Crichton, and Daniel L. Walters; B-Bridlewood Farm (FL); T-Rohan Crichton; J-Javier Castellano. $297,600. Lifetime Record: 8-4-2-0, $501,857. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Madaket Road, 118, c, 3, Quality Road–Frolic's Dream, by Smoke Glacken. ($650,000 Ylg '23 FTSAUG). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Tom J. Ryan, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan; B-SF Bloodstock LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $116,000.
3–Gaming, 122, c, 3, Game Winner–So Stylish, by Johannesburg. ($40,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $250,000 2yo '24 OBSMAR). O-Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman; B-Mt. Brilliant Farm & Ranch, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $58,000.
Margins: 3 1/4, NK, 5HF. Odds: 13.93, 2.64, 3.72.
Also Ran: Gate to Wire, Perfect Force, Smoken Wicked, Innovator, California Burrito, Built.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
